Quick Action By Local Peace Groups, Food Not Bombs, Makes Difference for Jersey City Residents

6/08 | Multiple updates available in comments. One resident says, "I know what Food Not Bombs means; I'm from Vieques."

By Tommy spnyc

Jersey City Residents at 182 Central Ave. have been without electricity for three days now. Much of their food went bad. I'm not sure the whole story, but they have a bum landlord and the city is threatening to kick them out because of a fire hazard, without it being clear if they'll provide temporary housing. I just came from the building, people are standing in the hallway shivering and some of them haven't eaten for two days.

Peace, Jersey City Residents at 182 Central Ave. have been without electricity for three days now. Much of their food went bad. I'm not sure the whole story, but they have a bum landlord and the city is threatening to kick them out because of a fire hazard, without it being clear if they'll provide temporary housing. I just came from the building, people are standing in the hallway shivering and some of them haven't eaten for two days. The tennants would be grateful if people could bring water, snacks, food and flashlights. There is a small chance that they will be moved, please call Yajaira (one of the residents) if you can help at 201-968-8044.

Thank You, gary

***Sorry to folks not in the JC area, I didn't have time to seperate my e-mail list.

Electricity was turned on in 4 units of the apartment building by 6pm thanks to the efforts of Action 21 (Accion 21), Jersey City Peace Movement, Food Not Bombs, and the residents of the building.

The fire department was exceptionally helpful--staying with the residents past their work time.

This is an extremely shocking story because PSE&G stut off the building's electricity without any notice. Residents were without electricity for 3 days. There were young children, elderly, an asthmatic, and a 7 month pregnant woman without services for 3 days. ALL food went bad--and Food Not Bombs came through in literally 2 hours with a full meal for 30 people!

From the bzwa media. we'll all be reconnecting with folks from the building and the orgs today, so if anyone wants to help, call the woman listed as a contact yesterday, or contact JC Peace Movement / Accion 21 / jc food not bombs, or me.

I'd like to put them in touch with a Jersey based housing lawyer who could at least consult with them for free.

Also a note, when we were talking to one woman who lives in the building, she pointed to the flag on her wall and said "I KNOW what food not bombs means: I'm from Vieques".

NO WAY TO LIVE Tenants subjected to horrible conditions landlord fined again Thursday, June 08, 2006

Tenants about to get thrown out of their homes in the Jersey City Heights due to their landlord's alleged neglect were saved by two anti-war activists who happened past the scene while heading to Rep. Steve Rothman's nearby office.

The activists didn't end the war yesterday, but they were able to solve the tenants' problem. They told Rothman, D-Fair Lawn, what was happening, and he called Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who stopped the eviction and got the building's power turned back on.

The beleaguered tenants - including 10 children, a pregnant woman, and a 17-year-old who just spent three weeks in the hospital with severe asthma problems - were carrying their possessions out of their apartments and into the rain when they got word they could stay in their homes.

The three-story building on Central Avenue near Reservoir Avenue was issued 29 violations by city fire, health and building code inspectors on Tuesday, a day after a Public Service Electric and Gas worker reported the building's basement electrical panels were a shambles and turned off power to the building.

The tenants, who were to be evicted yesterday, explained their plight to Adela Santiago of the community organization New Jersey Action 21, who was on her way to meet with activist Erik-Anders Nilsson of the Jersey City Peace Coalition. The pair were going to speak about the war in Iraq with Rothman, who has an office on Central Avenue.

Santiago and Nilsson told Rothman it wasn't right that billions are being spent in Iraqi while families a few doors away were being evicted.

Within a half-hour, the tenants had been told they could stay in their homes, and the city was sending an electrician to make repairs and get the power turned back on. City workers also installed smoke detectors and fixed the worst of the building violations, Jersey City Fire Prevention Specialist Matt Barrett said.

Some tenants said they were paying as much as $700 a month to live in the dilapidated building.

Four of the building's nine apartments were vacant, and a fifth was occupied by squatters, Barrett said. Those five apartments were boarded up yesterday, he said.

Of the four remaining, two had their PSE&G accounts paid up and got their power turned back on by last night, as did the building's hallways.

The landlord, Forsight Property in Paterson, was fined $10,000 and will be fined $500 each day repairs are not made starting tomorrow, Barrett said.

The building was fined $22,000 a few years ago and a lien was placed on the property, and since then, tenants have been paying rent to the court. City officials said the landlord hadn't paid property taxes this year.

"They never, never never, fixed anything," said Jaira Malave, who lives in the three-story building with her family in one of the five apartments still occupied.

Malave said the tenants had been chipping in to pay for their own repairs to the building, and they'd even paid part of the building's water bill to get the water turned back on.

Nilsson, Santiago and Freeholder Eliu Rivera got meals to the tenants with the help of the organization Food Not Bombs.

Today 5 men claiming to be the 'new owners' (several of whom are recognized by the victimized tenants--and some who are very large 'bodybuilder' type men) of the building on Central Avenue--forced their way into the property this morning--pounding forcefully and loudly on doors. They kicked in the basement door which had been secured by city officials.

They allegedly were looking around in the basement at the electricity meters and were 'fooling around' with them. The renters were being asked to sign papers--BUT wisely refused. (Who ARE these men? Trule the owners? Who knows?)

Tenants again reached out to the police, fire department, local press (Jersey Journal) and community activist groups (Action 21, Jersey City Peace Movement, and others)--who ALL showed up again today within 1/2 hour. Later activists called City Hall where a meeting was set up and attended the same day at 2pm.

Councilman Vega's representative and other city officials promised to protect the tenants and monitor the situation with authorities. However they were NOT able to tell us who INDEED the true owner and landlord of the building is!

Another meeting is set for Thursday of next week.

This is a VICTORY for the community--and peace and justice activist groups involved.

But CAUTION!!!--there is a strong push now for gentrification as the "Heights' section of Jersey City becomes more populated with "young urban professionals". A "LIGHT RAIL" stop was recently added there and this building is across from a beautiful public park & track, an ice skating rink, and "Reservoir 3" --which the community is also in a battle to preserve as a nature park.

Jersey City Heights is just 15-20 minutes from midtown Manhattan.

Stay tuned.

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